Helen of Soy?

In Greek Mythology, Helen of Troy was known to be the most beautiful woman who ever lived. Though there’s no way to confirm this, perhaps her beauty can be attributed to her love of soy.

According to a study done by Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, women with high amounts of a certain soy component in their blood have lower triglyceride levels, higher HDL cholesterol levels (the good kind) and tend to keep their cholesterol levels in a healthy range.

The healthful component in soy that the study lauds is called daidzein. Daidzein is an isoflavone (i.e. polyphenolic compounds with antioxidant capabilities) that contains estrogen-like compounds that reacts with estrogen receptors in the body. In so doing, they mirror the effects that the estrogen hormone places on the body.

The investigation was initiated, in part, over confusion over how soy affected cholesterol in humans, which heretofore hasn’t been conclusive one way or the other. What has been conclusive are the positive changes on monkeys’ cholesterol levels when fed diets rich in soy.

To put the debate to rest, the team of researchers, led by Dr. C. Noel Bairey Merz, checked the blood levels of 483 women participating in the Women’s Ischemia Syndrome Evaluation study (80 percent of whom were postmenopausal).

They discovered that women with high amounts of the soy derivative daidzein in their diet also showed reductions in their LDL cholesterol levels (the “bad” kind) as well as lower triglyceride levels and higher HDL levels. Oddly, genistein, the most abundant plant estrogen found in soy, did not play a role in blood fat levels, according the researchers.

Nevertheless, Merz and her colleagues see this study as further evidence of soy’s role in cardiovascular health.

“These and prior studies suggest that cardiovascular risk reduction strategies in women should consider dietary intake of food products, such as soy, which elevate blood daidzein levels, consistent with recent recommendations,” Merz and her colleagues’ write in their study, published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

They also say that the effect of daidzein was strongest for women with low estrogen levels. They theorize that this is because daidzein has the ability to act like the real estrogen hormone in helping to restore healthy blood fat levels.

So, soy lovers rejoice—you’re doing a lot of good for your health by consuming soy (despite what other health sites claims that soy is actually detrimental to your health). Best of all, there’s no lack of soybeans—perhaps the best and most pure form of soy—being produced in America. In fact, according to the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization, the United States produces more soybeans than any other nation in the world, 84 million metric tons in 2005 alone (Brazil is second with 53 million metric tons), making it the leading agricultural export in the United States!

Of course, there are lots of ways to employ soybeans into your daily diet. One particularly tasty way is by lightly boiling soybeans while in their pods in salted water. Then, pop the soybeans into your mouth by squeezing down on the pods—the perfect finger food! Edamame (EDA-MAA-ME), as it’s referred to, is a popular snacking choice in Hawaii.

Here’s a special F-R-E-E 38 page report titled, “The Best Natural Ways to Lower Your Blood Pressure, Reduce Your Waistline and Take Back Your Health:”